


The New Fire Lord (And How the Fire Nation Learned to Trust the Son of Ozai)

by avatays



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Nation (Avatar), Fire Nation Politics (Avatar), Fire Nation Royal Family, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Forgiveness, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Post-Canon, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, aka the one where the past fire lords have been evil dictators who abuse their staff, but zuko's here to change things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:46:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25504672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatays/pseuds/avatays
Summary: Knowing Zuko’s family, it was natural for the Fire Nation to be apprehensive of his rule – specifically the workers at the palace. Many of the Fire Lords had used capital punishment, abuse, and banishment to assert dominance and their right to the throne. Those are Zuko’s ancestors, surely he would rule with the same iron fist.They had forgetten that Zuko was a victim of such rule. And he would prove to the nation and the world that the Fire Nation is no longer to be feared – and neither is he. Because he is not Ozai. He is Zuko.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & The Fire Nation (Avatar)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 1869
Collections: A:tla, avatar tingz





	The New Fire Lord (And How the Fire Nation Learned to Trust the Son of Ozai)

**Author's Note:**

> so fire lord zuko proving to the palace workers that he treats them with decency is a trope that’s been gaining speed recently and it is highkey one of my favorites, and when i saw a few textposts about it on tumblr i got inspired to write it! the one i saw in particular was from tumblr user @captainkirkk they’ve got hella fire lord zuko content and it makes my heart sing.

The servants at the palace were bustling around like crazy, getting everything ready for the new Fire Lord’s coronation. They had been preparing one for Azula the previous week, so now it was just a different name and a few minor alterations.

None of the servants, nor anyone else in the Fire Nation, knew what to think of their formerly banished prince turned Fire Lord. He had battled and defeated Azula, the pride of Ozai and the Fire Nation itself. But he didn’t kill her, like Azula would have done to him. Surely that made him better? But the idea that someone challenged their own sister to an Agni Kai on the day they were most powerful was something they feared – would he have killed her if he had to? That was still their princess, and she was still who they had thought was going to rule. Her downfall into madness was something that was painful to watch for many of them. They feared her, but they pitied her. All the demands of her father were pushed upon her, under the expectation that she would not fail where Zuko had. And she rarely did – but it drove her insane. And it had changed in an instant. He had seized power, then come back to the palace with the Avatar, the sworn enemy of their Nation. He was certainly still a traitor... right?

But now, the Fire Lord – no, the _former_ Fire Lord – was powerless. Taking away Ozai’s bending was far crueler and more fitting than killing him. Ozai used his bending to make everyone fear him, that’s how he got what he wanted; it’s how Azula had learned to get what she wanted as well. Taking away the thing that made everyone fear him was a greater feat – Ozai was not a martyr. He was helpless at the hands of a child – yes, an Avatar, but still a thirteen-year-old boy. The Fire Nation was humiliated. There was a reason the officials and sages didn’t fight to keep Ozai on the throne once Zuko came back, and it was because Ozai had lost. He had lost his bending, and by proxy, his power and his throne.

Ozai was no more, locked in some far away tower with his daughter. (Hopefully not in the same room though, one could hope.) So they embraced Zuko as well as they could. He wasn’t even seventeen yet, just a month shy, surely he couldn’t be that bad. But they hadn’t seen their new Fire Lord around much. They sometimes saw Mai, the girl who had claimed his heart when he had been home for six weeks after the defeat of the Avatar in Ba Sing Se – although they all knew that was a ruse by this point, whether Zuko had known the Avatar was alive or had figured it out afterwards, was a mystery to them all, and not one they necessarily wanted answered. The Avatar and his team were roaming the halls often, taking the week after the battle to stay until the coronation, the rooms they stayed in close to the Fire Lord’s own – not the one that Ozai had. It was the master suite on the opposite side of the palace, as far away from his family’s old wing as possible. Whether it was bad memories, or regret for locking his family away, no one could say for sure.

Some workers at the palace had been here long enough to remember Zuko as a child. He had idolized his uncle, was always trying to be near his mother, and every time he saw his cousin his face would light up with the ferocity of a million suns. But while they remembered the kind young boy, if not a bit spoiled and arrogant, they remembered what had happened when he was thirteen. They remembered what had happened with Ozai the years leading up to it. Burns on his arms when he would disobey or fall behind on his lessons. Shouts of telling him to do better, as the boy cried and promised he would. The burns and the screams would only get louder and more vicious after Ursa had gone and Ozai had taken the throne. The healers would bite their tongues as they put salve on the marks, determined not to let it bother them. This was their Fire Lord, and they were loyal to him – but hearing of his cruelty and seeing it be done against children – his _own_ child – were different entirely.

The servants at the palace felt the years of abuse must have hardened him – those years at sea had aged him, made him look a few years older than his young sixteen, and he always looked as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. A child of abuse must not be mentally stable, they assumed, not where Ozai was involved. They just hoped he was at least saner than the mad princess.

Personal servants were often turned away at the door. Zuko would say stiffly that he could dress himself and didn’t need help. During afternoon tea, Mai or one of the members of the Avatar’s team would often be in his study with him, and they would take it from the servant, with a nod or a smile, oftentimes a “thank you.”

Jin Xi had been hired to work as one of the personal servants to the Fire Lord. She had once worked as a maid, but had been promoted after Azula’s imprisonment. A great honor, she knew, but she was terrified. She had yet to even see him, and it was her third day at the palace. Normally, someone would tell her what to do to the point where she had almost no need to interact with the Fire Lord. But when the seamstresses needed to fit him for his ceremonial robes, Jin Xi was thrown into the fire and forced to go get him.

Her hands trembled as she knocked on the door to his bed chambers. He opened the door, his hair down, and said, “What?” in a tone that expressed neither happiness nor displeasure.

She bowed low. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but Ming-Na has requested you for your first robe fitting, sir.”

He looked around for a second, as if trying to remember what time it was, before he sighed and said, “Yes, okay. Please come in, I need to find something first, then I can go.” When he saw a slightly confused look flicker across her face before she schooled her expression, he said, “I don’t remember where the seamstresses are, if you wouldn’t mind showing me to them.”

“I – of course I don’t mind, Your Highness.”

“Good.” He walked back into his room and kept the door open for her to follow. She closed the door behind her, and she turned to see a few people sitting at a table in the corner of his room, a hot pot of tea in the middle of the table. The Avatar was looking right at her, as well as two other familiar faces. She bowed lengthily once more and said breathlessly, “The Great Avatar Aang. General Iroh. Sokka of the Water Tribe. It is an honor.”

Iroh had smiled and nodded deeply in respect, and the Avatar quickly laughed and said, “Uh, thank you. Please don’t... call me that.”

She was confused. “You are the Avatar who brought an end to the war. You _are_ the Great Avatar.”

The Avatar flushed, and the dark-skinned Water Tribesman sitting next to him snickered and nudged him. “Yeah, _Great Avatar,_ don’t be so modest.”

Behind her, the Fire Lord groaned. “I can’t find those scrolls on the colonies. I need to read something while I’m getting the robes fitted or I’ll go mad.”

Jin Xi froze at his word choice. She thought of Azula.

“Have you checked your study?” Sokka asked as he ate some fire flakes, before making a face that showed he immediately regretted it.

Zuko huffed. “Yes, Sokka, I have checked my study. I could’ve sworn they were in here somewhere.”

“Did you leave it in the kitchen, my lord?” The words left her mouth before she had even thought about saying them. She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I apologize, My Lord, I meant you no disrespect by talking out of turn, I – ”

“Yes,” Zuko mused and she stopped talking. “You might be right, I do have a tendency to read at breakfast. There’s just so much to do before the coronation.” He trailed off with an exhausted sigh. When it became clear he did not view her input as a sign of impudence, she let out a breath she had been holding.

“You need to relax, nephew,” Iroh said. “You are going to run yourself ragged before they even get the crown on your head.”

“Yeah, Hotman, loosen up a little,” the Avatar added with a wink.

Zuko frowned, and Jin Xi was about to panic. Were the Fire Lord and the Avatar actually friends? Some around the palace seemed to think it was a begrudging political alliance, or that perhaps Zuko was playing the long game and was using him... that last accusation didn’t seem founded to her, it was all gossip. And with the way the Avatar had just addressed the Fire Lord, she figured they _must_ be friends – or else he had just showed grave insolence by speaking to their leader in such a casual way.

“You’re right, I know you’re right,” Zuko said after a moment of silence, seemingly as he had collected his thoughts. “I just need to fix things. It’s my family’s fault this war started, it’s my duty to end it, completely – not just recalling troops, but by seeking forgiveness.”

Jin Xi was sure she had entered a parallel reality. The Fire Lord? Admitting that someone else may be right? Talking about reparations and peace? She had never thought she’d see the day. She was actually quite sure that the word “forgiveness” was not in Fire Lord Ozai’s vocabulary.

“I need to stop by the kitchens on my way to the robe fitting, if you don’t mind,” Zuko said, and it took her a moment to realize he was addressing _her_.

“I – yes, of course, Lord Zuko.”

They did find the scrolls in the kitchen, on the table where he had eaten his breakfast – the cooks weren’t sure if they should be cross with him for eating in their work space, but they supposed the table _was_ there, so they couldn’t force him to eat in the dining hall. When asked why he preferred the table by Minja, a stout older woman who had known Zuko as a petulant prince, he had simply explained with a soft “it’s too big in there, it gets lonely.”

When they had reached their final destination, Jin Xi bowed low again.

“Thank you...”

Jin Xi was so shocked at the words, that she didn’t even recognize that he was asking for her name.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m Jin Xi, My Lord.”

He smiled at the name, and thought of a fond memory of a girl who gave him a chance back in Ba Sing Se. “Thank you, Jin.”

He left her standing in the hallway feeling stunned.

**–––**

The day of the coronation came, and it went off flawlessly, and by the time the banquet had come around, the staff were feeling good about themselves and their ability to throw a perfect coronation party.

Fire Lord Zuko had stood at the head of the table, his uncle to his left and the Avatar to his right, as he gave a short speech about peace between nations and new bonds being formed after a century of brokenness. When everyone clapped respectfully, Zuko sat back down, and Uncle Iroh touched his shoulder affectionately. “I am so very proud of you, nephew,” he whispered in a voice so quiet only Zuko would be able to hear. “I knew it was always your destiny to be here, to save the world.”

Zuko smiled at his uncle, and he closed his eyes briefly to stop himself from tearing up. He squeezed his uncle’s hand and knew he didn’t have to say anything else. _Thank you_ and _I love you_. It didn’t need said, they both knew it to be true.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. They heard the Avatar making jokes with his friends – the Fire Lord included – and General Iroh had spoken fondly to the servants he remembered, all of whom had nothing but good memories on the man who was once called the Dragon of the West. Now, he insisted on simply Iroh. (They weren’t sure if they were going to be able to call him something so informal, but they had nodded along anyways.)

Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe had made a request the day prior to the cooks (specifically to Minja), saying that since some Water Tribe dignitaries would bring sea prunes, he would be grateful if the kitchen was willing to cook them. Sokka had asked so politely and given them clear and easy directions on how to make them, that they fulfilled the request with no problem. The fact that the Water Tribe warriors and leaders kept sending their compliments to the chefs was just a cherry on top. This would surely strengthen relations between the two rival nations, Minja hoped it would show their acceptance of the tribe’s customs.

Everything was going well, swimmingly in fact. Then they heard a clatter and a soft, “Ma’am, I am so sorry.”

A Fire Nation noblewoman stood up and shrieked, staring at the spot on her robes where the tea had landed in her lap. “You stupid boy! You ruined my new robes!”

_Smack!_   
  


The slap echoed throughout the room so much that it silenced the table, five dozen people falling quiet. Minja saw that the Avatar’s team and many of the foreign dignitaries stood to say something, but didn’t know what. That woman had hit a boy who didn’t look older than eleven, and they didn’t know how to react.

Minja recognized him – he had started working here filling the place of his mother when she had fallen ill. They would normally never let someone so young work here, but they had taken pity on the boy who had started working there within the midst of Azula’s madness, simply because they couldn’t afford to lose anyone else with how many people Azula was banishing. He also claimed to have a sister that worked in the palace, so they assumed she would be able to help him if need be. Minja now regretted letting the boy stay on, if only so that he did not have to endure this woman’s torment.

The woman continued to shout at the poor servant, who cowered and pleaded for forgiveness. The Fire Lord’s eyes were wide. He looked as though he was remembering something far away.

“You will learn respect for your superiors!” The woman let out shrilly, raising her hand again.

Minja and many of the other servants turned away, knowing what was to come – but it never did. A gasp left her lips as she saw that the Fire Lord was holding the woman’s wrist, stopping it’s descent towards the boy on his knees in front of her.

“Just _what_ ,” the Fire Lord hissed, “do you think you are doing?”

The noblewoman seemed at a loss for words. “M-my Lord, he needs to be punished.”

“You already hit him,” Zuko spat out. “You are seeking revenge on a child. You raise another hand to anyone in my palace, _anyone_ under my care, and you will answer to _me_.”

“My Lord, you can’t be serious,” a man declared in shock as he stood from beside the seat where the woman was. “You will threaten my wife and not punish this servant’s ignorance?”

“Yes. I _will_. I see a boy begging for forgiveness for a simple mistake. Something like that happened not that many years ago, if you recall.” At the fire in Zuko’s eyes, the man had the decency to look away and bow. Zuko looked around and realized all eyes were on him. He raised his voice just loud enough so everyone would be able to hear. He only wanted to teach this lesson once. He kept his eyes trained on the woman before him. “The age of cruelty in this palace – in this _nation_ – is over. It dies today. It ended with my father. Is that understood?”

“How do you expect us to teach them then?” The woman demanded, gesturing at the boy who was still on his knees looking at the ground.

“Use your _words_ like the diplomats you claim to be,” Zuko snapped. “I’m beginning to think you weren’t listening to me.”

It was a challenge, and everyone knew it. He was daring her to argue with him, to try and change his mind, knowing full well it couldn’t be changed.

The tension in the air was palpable, and righteous fire radiated off their ruler was passionate and outraged. Out of the corner of one’s eye, they could see Katara of the Water Tribe take a step as if she was about to say something, but the Avatar stopped her by grabbing her hand and shaking his head, as if to say “he needs to do it on his own.” She frowned, but stopped.

Uncle Iroh was watching the exchange carefully, his eyes knowing. Everyone seemed afraid at what the Fire Lord would do in retribution. Zuko’s friends knew he wouldn’t harm anyone; they knew him too well to think he would hurt someone on purpose. But only Iroh knew what he was trying to do – send a message, that the era of Ozai was no more. The way of life in Ozai’s time was dead, and they would adjust to it, or be rendered useless in the new Fire Lord’s nation.

“I – I apologize for my wife, Lord Zuko,” the man began when it became clear his wife was frozen in her spot.

“I don’t want an apology. Apologize to _him_ ,” Zuko said. “He’s the one you hit, not me.”

This seemed to make the woman gain her words back. “Absolutely not!” She shrieked. “I could never lower myself to that of a peasant!”

“Is that what you think an apology is?” The Fire Lord didn’t seem angry at those words, just pitying. “Shameful. Do you have children?”

“I – no, we don’t,” the man said.

“Good, I’d hate to see how any of yours turned out.” Zuko clucked his tongue. “So, you refuse to apologize? You refuse to treat this boy with respect?”

“I will not apologize for a mistake _he_ made!” The woman shouted.

The sparks in the air fizzled, ready to be ignited. The sconces on the walls lining the room blazed brighter, the flames nearly licking the ceilings with its ferocity. The flames surged with each breath the Fire Lord took, almost as if he didn’t even know he was doing it. The woman’s husband looked genuinely fearful for his safety, and his wife was certainly not doing them any favors.

“ _You_ are the one who has made a mistake.” The Fire Lord’s eyes narrowed. All the other nobles braced themselves, and the foreign diplomats watched in horror at the events unfolding, unsure what was about to happen. Minja gasped as the flames from the torches surrounding them roared up to reach the ceiling. That look, the determination, it showed that he had already made a decision – it was the same look his father got. She only hoped it wouldn’t be too messy –

The heat that surrounded the room like a blanket was sucked out as the flames retreated away from the ceiling, the Fire Lord saying coolly, “You are both hereby stripped of your titles. I want you out of my palace. If I hear that you have raised your hand to another, you will come back here, and you will have to face _me_.”

“What?” The woman squawked. “You can’t do that!”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. “I just did. Next time is banishment. Banishment is a _mercy_ , compared to how my father ruled,” he said, and turned his head. Everyone looked at his scar. They all knew _exactly_ how Ozai ruled, but none knew more than Fire Lord Zuko himself; and it was, quite literally, plain to see on his face. “Now. Get. _Out_. Before you are thrown out.”

The man grabbed his wife by the arm and pulled her out of the room, clearly not wanting to be banished on the same night he lost his title.

When the doors clanged shut, Zuko sighed. The torches went back to their original size, like the Fire Lord had managed to calm himself enough to control it. He lowered himself to the boy’s level, and said softly, “Are you alright?”

The boy had been crying. He was shaking slightly as he choked out, “I’m s-sorry, Your Majesty, I have ruined your banquet with my incompetence.”

“You have ruined nothing. Please stand.”

The child looked up at Zuko, and saw eyes no longer full of rage and malice. Instead, a gentle smile was presented to him. The boy stood, and Zuko looked at the side of his face. It looked like the woman’s ring had snagged his skin, he had a shallow cut on his cheekbone. He tutted. “Katara is the world’s greatest healer, she can fix this up for you in seconds.”

“N-no, please, My Lord, I don’t want to bother Master Katara, I’ve already caused enough problems.” The boy had paled and was still shaking, tear streaks lined his face and his eyes were rimmed red.

“You are no bother, I promise,” Katara said as she stepped forward. “Come, let me help you.” The boy seemed to melt into Katara’s motherly cooing, because he walked towards her, and when she put an arm around his shoulders, he didn’t flinch away. Katara led him out of the room.

Zuko turned back to the room. “I believe it’s time to retire for the night. You all may stay until you have finished your meal, but I must excuse myself.” With that, he followed Katara and the boy the way they had gone. Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki were only a step behind. They heard Iroh begin to address the room as the doors swung closed.

“That was ballsy, Sparky,” Toph said with a voice of awe once the five friends got into the long corridor.

“You did the right thing,” Suki told him proudly.

Zuko took a few calming breaths. He shook his head and when he looked up, he had tears in his eyes. “I just got so angry,” he fumed. “I couldn’t even think straight, seeing that woman standing over him like that, I just...” he trailed off.

“You shouldn’t feel bad, Zuko,” Aang said, placing a hand on his arm comfortingly. “You did what needed to be done. You sent a message, but you did so without hurting anyone. It was the most honorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

He felt placated at the reassurances from his friends, even Sokka was being serious for once. It felt nice to know he had back-up on the matter, even though he’d had to face it on his own. Zuko stopped at the door they used as a healer’s room and entered, immediately moving to approach the boy. Jin Xi was in the room as well, nervously standing to the side. Zuko greeted her with a noncommittal, “Jin.”

Jin Xi was crying. “Thank you, Lord Zuko.”

Zuko didn’t know why she was thanking him. But he nodded, and Jin sat beside the boy on the cot and held his hand. Katara lowered her hand, and bent the water back into a small bowl that was resting beside her, before she stood up and walked back over to the group, sensing that Zuko needed to check in with the boy. The cut was completely healed, as well as the bruise that surely would have formed there.

“What’s your name?” Zuko asked.

“...Wei,” he answered quietly, looking at his feet.

“How old are you, Wei?”

“Ten, sir.”

“You’re a bit young to be working here, Wei,” Zuko said as he sat down in the spot that Katara had just occupied.

Jin Xi spoke up then. “Our mother got sick a few weeks back, and she couldn’t work anymore. I couldn’t afford to keep us afloat with just me working here, so Wei said he would work in her stead.”

Ah. Her brother. That explained why she thanked him then.

“That’s a very noble thing to do,” Zuko told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “But I’m afraid you’re just too young to work at the palace.”

Wei’s eyes widened as he looked at Zuko with big brown eyes. “B-but mom can’t come back yet, and we still need the money.”

“And you will get it.” Zuko stated it like it was a matter of fact, as though the idea of not helping hadn’t crossed his mind. “I will send your wages home with your sister. You don’t have to work here anymore, Wei. I’d much rather pay you to go back to school, and have some fun.”

Wei and Jin Xi both froze. This had to be a trick, didn’t it? This was a test of loyalty, or... or...

But the new Fire Lord had given them no reason to not believe him so far. His eyes were full of sympathy and kindness. “Please don’t overthink this,” Zuko told them with a smile. “Just accept my offer.”

“I – I’ll work more hours to show you my gratitude, Fire Lord Zuko,” Jin Xi promised.

“That isn’t necessary. You’re here far too often already. I’ll just be paying you for the work you both would normally do. You are loyal and dedicated, you should be rewarded.”

Jin Xi searched his eyes for any hint of ill intent, but she couldn’t find any. Her eyes watered as she said, “I don’t know how to thank you, My Lord.”

“Just help your mother get better,” Zuko informed them. He looked at Wei. “And you, go back to school when it starts up again.”

“I promise,” he said with a smile.

“Now, I insist you two head home. You’ll be paid for the full shift, of course, but it’s been a long day, and I’m sure you want to get back to your mother. I know I would.” He ended the sentence wistfully as he stood.

“Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko,” Jin Xi let out with a smile as she swiped away at her tears. “Come on, Wei, let’s go home.”

Wei took his sister’s hand as they stood to leave – before Wei ran back and threw his arms around Zuko’s middle. “Thank you,” the boy whispered.

Zuko was surprised at first, but he hugged the child back. It had been a long time since children didn’t hate him, fear him, or stare at his scar, but Wei treated him like a normal person. He didn’t ask permission to hug him, he didn’t hesitate as if he would be punished for such an action – he treated him almost like a friend. It warmed his heart.

Jin Xi didn’t apologize for the hug, and Zuko was grateful. He felt it would’ve ruined the validity of the moment by reminding him that he wasn’t supposed to be treated normally. Instead she had smiled at him as they left the room.

**–––**

It was a few weeks later, and word of the Fire Lord’s actions spread like wildfire – not just around the palace, or Caldera, but throughout the entire Fire Nation, and parts of the other nations as well.

The Avatar and his team had to leave, they had business to attend to somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Aang had joked over breakfast, “The Avatar’s work is never done,” and poked Zuko in the stomach with his elbow. Zuko had laughed, and the rest of the workers in the kitchen simply smiled. Minja was reminded of a time when Zuko was far younger, and Lu Ten would carry him around the castle, and Zuko would giggle and demand to be put down, only to ask to be picked right back up as soon as his feet touched the floor.

Iroh and Zuko had gotten together for tea the evening that the rest of Team Avatar had left. Zuko had insisted on serving it himself for his uncle, who was willing to try the tea that the cooks made, although Zuko and the staff were certain Iroh would insist on teaching them how to make tea the right way, which they looked forward to – his skills in tea-making were now more well known throughout the palace than his prowess during wartime.

Iroh had smiled and taken a sip of the tea, saying, “Not bad. Could use a bit more cinnamon though,” before telling Jin Xi he would be going down to the kitchens later to give them some tips.

Jin Xi nodded, and when she was excused, she stopped at the door and looked back at Zuko and Iroh. Zuko had been drawn into a hug the second he had sat down, and he smiled in a way that Jin Xi had rarely seen on his face before.

As she left, closing the door snugly behind her, she couldn’t help but think herself foolish for fears she’d felt suffocated by only a month ago, right before she had met Fire Lord Zuko. The palace staff, the whole world, had been so afraid of the new Fire Lord, the son of Ozai, certain to have inherited his father’s cruelty and appetite for suffering.

They were all wrong. Ozai had done nothing in the boy’s life besides cause him self-hatred and pain that he still worked every day to overcome. There was a reason that Zuko was a kind and benevolent ruler. While Ozai had seen mercy as weakness, Zuko saw it to be strength. Where Ozai thought cruelty as power, Zuko knew it to be justice that brought forth peace.

It was clear that although Ozai may have sired the boy, in every way that mattered, Zuko was not his son.

Zuko was, truly, the son of Iroh.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you guys enjoyed this, i had fun writing it!  
> feel free to comment if you enjoyed, it really makes my day!


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